Heat
by Aurora Ciel
Summary: "Don't you miss sunlight?" I asked. "Nothing beats a warm sunny day." He smiled wryly, "I've learned to live with moonlight." A student reporter sneaks into the Fellowship to find a story, but instead she finds the vampire they're hiding. Godric/OC.
1. Ignite

**I told myself I wouldn't start a new story until I finished my other ones, but then I got hooked on True Blood—and more importantly, Godric—and I couldn't get this out of my head.**

**I haven't read the book series, although I'd really like to, so this will strictly follow the information we've gotten from the TV show. I may follow bits and pieces of the storyline from season 2, but this will probably be mostly AU.**

**This is my first story in first person…we'll see how it turns out.**

**Disclaimer: True Blood and **_**The Southern Vampire Mysteries**_** belong to Alan Ball and Charlaine Harris. I am merely borrowing their characters (and bringing some back to life…) to live out what I would have loved to see in the show.**

* * *

**To burn: **_to consume; to destroy; to shine._

* * *

**I. Ignite**

The sun hung high in the sky, despite the fact that it was only ten o'clock in the morning. Sweltering sun rays beat down and turned my car into a gigantic oven, or that's what it felt like, at least. Not even rolling all the windows down could help, as there wasn't the slightest trace of a breeze that morning.

I eased my dusty old Jetta into a parking space under a large tree. Hopefully the shade would do a little to protect my baby from the sun's smoldering heat. Checking my hair and makeup in my rearview mirror, I practiced an overly bright smile before reaching into my purse and retrieving my wallet.

While my driver's license read _Spencer Hathaway_, today I was using my "undercover" ID. And by "undercover", I mean "fake". But hey, I was only a student reporter for the UT-Dallas _Mercury_ and we had budget cuts to worry about. We'd learned to take what we could get.

According to this new license, I was Rebecca Lawrence, ultra-conservative and vampire-hater. I couldn't help frowning at the fake smile on my face in my photo—I could never be like this girl.

Having been raised by two gay fathers, I was rather liberal myself. I wasn't necessarily what some people called a "fangbanger", but I could understand how they felt to be persecuted just because they were misunderstood. No vampire had ever wronged me, so I wasn't about to place judgment based on rumors and mythology.

I did, however, have a problem with the Fellowship of the Sun and their "God hates anyone who isn't straight, human and a God-fearing Christian" bullshit. Which was why I'd volunteered to work the undercover story to try to find some dirt against them in the first place. My editor was a little wary of me working the story at first, since I was only a sophomore, but when no one else stepped forward she had no other option.

Loud bells rang, snapping me out of my thoughts, and signaling that mass was about to begin. I tossed my legal license into my glove compartment and scrambled out of my car.

Families all over the parking lot made their way towards the large doors and I followed. The summer heat was overbearing and I quickly pulled my long blonde hair into a high ponytail as I followed a family into the church.

The Reverend Newlin and his pretty little wife smiled at me as I walked in, Sarah gave a little wave and I returned it. I'd been undercover for only about two weeks, so I hadn't had many opportunities with them, but we'd talked enough now that they recognized me in a crowd.

It was my goal to play lost and confused little Rebecca who Newlin's wife would decide to take under her wing and bring into their inner circle. So far, she was playing right into my hand, falling for my bright blue eyes, innocent smile, and hair that sparkled like sunshine.

A round-faced woman wearing a floppy peach hat handed me the daily pamphlet. I frowned at the words emblazoned on the cover: _Embrace the light of the Lord._

Wasn't Jesus supposed to be all about loving everyone? If he knew about vampires back in his day, I was pretty sure he would have included them in that category.

The church was practically filled and I had somehow managed to be one of the last to file in. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed the Newlins walking down a hallway, over to a door I'd never seen opened before in my past two weeks there.

Pretending to be getting a drink of water, I watched carefully as Sarah came out of the door a few minutes later, looking rather distraught. Steve followed a while after and the look on his face was not a happy one. I tossed the paper cup in my hand and glanced around before deciding to make my way over to the door.

Whatever was behind that door sure made the Newlins upset and I was determined to find out what it was.

Much to my disappointment, the door had locked automatically. With a frustrated groan, I banged on the door and swore under my breath.

"Need a hand, dear?" an old woman asked, waddling over to my side.

I blinked at her in surprise, "Uh…I was just—"

"Getting more hymnals, I know. Here, let me get that open for you."

It couldn't be that easy, right? There was no way this little old lady knew what those two were hiding. I silently watched as she pulled out a set of keys, unlocked the door with ease and stepped inside.

Sure enough, the room appeared to be a simple storage room. A large metal shelf full of hymnals sat at one end of the room. I bit my lip, if I was going to find whatever they were in hiding in here, I would need some time and privacy.

I turned to the woman and gave my best toothpaste ad smile, "It looks like there are more than I was expecting; could you do me a big favor and bring a cart in here, please?"

"Sure thing, dear," she said right away. "I know there's one upstairs in the janitor's closet, it'll just take me a minute."

"I don't mind waiting." I grinned at her again, clasping my hands behind my back and bouncing on my heels. She nodded at me and was gone before I knew it. I couldn't believe my luck—if I wanted it to last, however, I'd have to work quickly.

I checked all four corners of the room—nothing suspicious there. There weren't any trap doors in the carpeting, either.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I pursed my lips and slowly let my eyes scan over the contents in the room. It was bad enough that I didn't know where the Newlins were hiding something in here, I didn't even know _what _it was I was looking for.

Nothing seemed out of place or returned to its position improperly. Maybe I had just imagined it. Or maybe they had just needed a moment to get away.

I frowned; so much for my great investigating skills.

That woman would be returning soon. I moved over to the book shelf to start piling up hymnals to at least look like I had been actually doing what I'd told her I was here for. It wasn't until I'd cleared the entire middle shelf away that I noticed it.

Behind the shelves of hymnals was a door.

Heart pounding, I glanced back at the door the woman had brought me through before I turned back to the shelf and pulled it away at an angle until I could get to the door. Surprisingly enough, it was unlocked. I sucked in a deep breath for courage and turned the knob.

Inside there was a dark staircase that I assumed led to some kind of creepy basement that held all of the Fellowship secrets. Sure that whatever it was I needed to crack the Fellowship was down there, I forced my feet to step forward until the next thing I knew, I was making my way down the stairs.

The basement was a collection of unfinished rooms. One looked like it was used for storage and had a strange cage in it. I passed another set of stairs before I found a room that had no source of lighting in it at all. A chain link door was closed with a padlock; thin, silver-colored metal rope was weaved through the links. Was it pure silver?

I was about to pass on to the next room when something caught my eye and I was forced to do a double take and step closer.

I couldn't believe my eyes. The Newlins, the Fellowship of the Sun had kidnapped…a boy?

* * *

The room was so dark I could barely see him, but his white clothing and pale skin made it easier. Tentatively I made my way towards the room, wanting to make sure I didn't startle him.

He was sitting in an old, dusty armchair with his face tilted upwards, although his eyes were closed. Was he sleeping? Unsure of how to wake him, I opened my mouth to call out to him.

Before I could even make a sound, his eyes snapped open and I found myself frozen, trapped in the glowing blue-gray of his gaze. Eventually I came to my senses and closed my mouth, straightening my shirt nervously as I tried to avoid eye contact.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. His voice was quiet, yet I could make out every word perfectly. And was it just me or was his accent strange? It was obvious he wasn't American, but for the life of me I couldn't place his accent.

"You're…you're a vampire," I found myself saying dumbly. It was as if I was working on autopilot. I'd never actually encountered a vampire before and I guess this was more overwhelming than I'd expected.

He smiled at me tiredly, not necessarily answering, but he didn't correct me, either. I stepped closer to the gate, grabbing at the links of the door. He seemed so sad, so…defeated.

I shook the gate angrily, "What happened? Did they kidnap you? Are they holding you hostage here?"

The boy opened his mouth to answer when he suddenly tensed and looked at something behind me.

"What the—what are you doing down here?" a gruff-looking man barked at me. I'd seen him around the church grounds before. Everyone called him Gabe, I think.

I stood there, my mouth unable to close as my brain seemed to shut down. He glared at me and lunged for me and suddenly a voice in the back of my mind yelled, _"Run!"_

Or maybe it wasn't in my head. Maybe it came from behind me.

Either way, all I knew was that adrenaline was pumping through my veins and every last instinct in me was screaming for me to get away from this man. I tried to slip past him as he came at me but he was faster than I had been expecting. He grabbed the collar of my shirt and the next thing I knew, there was a sharp pain at the back of my neck and everything went black.

"We've got a Code Red, I repeat, Code Red!" Gabe's voice sounded muffled and distant as I felt myself fading.

The last thing I registered was what sounded like faint growling and the scent of burning flesh.

* * *

When I came to, I could hear voices near me. I was laying down somewhere, my forehead pressed into the cold concrete of the ground. My head and neck were throbbing and I couldn't seem to focus my eyes yet.

"You gave me your word that no one else would be harmed if I complied," an angry voice hissed.

"Yes well, obviously we didn't plan for our little reporter here," another voice snapped. "Are you saying you want to go back on our bargain?"

The first man sighed, obviously weighing out his choices. "No," he said eventually. "Everything will go according to plan, I will remain in your charge."

My eyes snapped open and I sucked in a loud breath as I finally realized who the first voice was. It was that same accent I'd heard just moments before I'd been attacked.

Apparently my reaction got the attention of the others, I looked up to see Steve Newlin standing on the outside of the chain link door that I was now trapped behind. That realization caused my heart to skip a beat—I was trapped in a room with a vampire.

"Ah, Miss Hathaway," Steve sneered, shifting his irritated gaze to me, "I see you're awake."

I tried to speak but I found my throat was too raspy and dry. I had to cough before any sound could come out, "H-How do you know my name?"

"Your license wasn't too hard to find in that dirty car of yours, which we've had towed, by the way. And your other belongings have been destroyed."

I was on my feet before I knew it, stomping over to him, paying no mind to the vampire who was calmly watching our exchange. "You can't do this—this is kidnapping, theft, blackmail…_something!_ I will sue your ass before I—"

"Oh really?" Steve laughed condescendingly and I gritted my teeth. "And what do you exactly plan on doing from behind a locked door? Call those disgraceful fathers of yours?"

That was the last straw. Letting out a low sound that I'm embarrassed to say sounded vaguely like a growl, I tore at the links of the gate, desperate to get to Newlin and claw his eyes out. "You leave my dads out of this! They're twice the men you'll ever be!"

He frowned, "I hardly think so. They're sinners in the eyes of the Lord, just like you are." As if he'd just had an epiphany, Steve looked from me to the vampire. "Looks like you two deserve each other."

It wasn't until he started walking away that the vampire finally said something, stepping closer to the door but noticeably avoiding the silver embedded in it. "Wait, what about the girl? What are you going to do with her?"

Steve stopped as he rounded the corner of the hall, peeking his head back into our view. "Think of her as a last meal, Godric."

My eyes widened at that thought and I found myself backing up until I was stopped by a wall. I watched as the vampire—Godric, his name was, apparently—turned to me with an almost forlorn look in his eyes.

"I am not going to hurt you," he assured me in that same quiet voice.

Despite the fact that I knew I should be terrified—hello, _vampire_—I found myself believing him. He returned to the armchair, pressing his face into his hand. I frowned and was strangely overcome with the desire to comfort this boy…man, I suppose. I had no idea how old he was but he didn't look a day over eighteen. His eyes told a different story, however. They held the knowledge and wisdom of someone hundreds of years old, at least.

"So," I found myself saying as I walked over to him, "your name is Godric? I'm Spencer."

Godric looked up at me and gave a tired smile, "Pleased to meet you, Spencer. It is unfortunate that we had to meet under these circumstances."

Glancing behind me and taking another breath to calm my nerves, I pulled a small crate over to his chair and sat down across from him. "What are you doing here anyway? I didn't really think vampires could be, you know, kidnapped."

"I was not kidnapped," Godric clarified. "The Fellowship had been planning on taking a vampire for quite some time and I did not wish to see one of my own put to such a fate, so I offered myself."

I couldn't help it. My jaw dropped. This caused him to laugh slightly, "Yes, I've been getting that reaction quite a bit."

I shook my head, "I'm sorry, that was rude of me. I think…I think it's really great of you to offer yourself up like that for the good of your kind. It just makes me sad that it's come to this."

He nodded, "I agree. I fear humans and vampires may never be able to coexist in peace. For centuries I've watched my kind hide in the shadows of the night, waiting for the day that we could make our presence known. And now that we have, I find myself wishing we'd waited longer, as it seems this has only made our situation worse."

Despite the fact that he was supposed to be a cold-blooded killer, my heart was breaking for him.

"It's not going to help, you know," I whispered, staring at my clasped hands. "Whatever it is you're planning to do. I don't think anything will stop the Fellowship, however admirable the effort."

"I fear you may be correct, Spencer. But I have to try."

"If you don't mind me asking, what is it you plan on doing?"

Godric's face set into a blank mask as he told me, "They want to tie me to a cross and bring me into the sunlight for all to watch."

"That's terrible!" I gasped. "You can't go through with this, Godric."

"Can you come up with any other way to appease the Fellowship? At least for now they are leaving vampires be." Godric's words held truth, but I just couldn't believe them—I wouldn't.

"That's why I'm here," I insisted. "I'm a reporter and I'm trying to find information to bring the Fellowship down. I'm sure if I could just get news out about what they want to do to you—and who knows how many other vampires—I'm sure the American Vampire League would have something to say about that!"

"I appreciate your concern," Godric said with a crooked smile, his eyes twinkling as he looked over at me. I felt my cheeks heating up as I realized I'd just gone off on a vampire rights rant in front of him. "But I have already resigned to my fate."

My shoulders sagged and I slumped forward to lean my elbows on my knees, resting my chin in my hands. "This just isn't fair. Someone has to take Steve Newlin down a few notches…."

Godric actually chuckled at that one, "That would certainly be a sight to see. I admit, I would like to be around long enough to see that happen."

Glad that I'd managed to improve his mood at least a little bit, I began to perk up myself. By now my eyes had adjusted to the darkness and I was able to take in his appearance better. His hair was short and dark, a contrast to his pale skin and glowing eyes. What surprised me the most about his appearance, however, were the dark tattoos peeking out of the collar and cuffed sleeves of his linen shirt. I resisted asking about them, not sure if that was out of place. They looked ancient, though, which made me wonder just how old this vampire was.

It wasn't until I glanced down at his scarred hands that I remembered the scent of burning flesh before I'd passed out.

"What happened to your hands?"

He glanced down at them sheepishly. "I'm afraid I lost my temper a bit when I saw Gabe manhandling you and grabbed at the silver gate."

Now _there_ was a shocker. "Does it hurt?"

"Not so much anymore," he admitted. "By tomorrow they'll have healed completely."

"I thought vampires heal instantly?"

"Usually we do," he nodded, tracing his fingers along the scar tissue. "I haven't fed in quite some time, however, so it takes a bit longer for my body to recuperate."

Thinking about Godric feeding—and all that implied—made my stomach somersault. We were silent for a few minutes while I took some time to bounce back from that one.

"So, when is…_it_ going to happen?" I couldn't help but ask.

"I do not know," he admitted. "They will not tell me, but I will not let it until I finish my final task."

"Which is?"

He turned to me, determination in his eyes, "Breaking you out of here."

* * *

**What do you think? Worth continuing?**


	2. Glow

**Thanks for the great feedback! I'm going back to college in a little over 3 weeks (let's hear it for late starts!) so I'll try to update as much as I can but I make no promises since I'll be busy packing and getting ready for school, not to mention saying goodbye to friends (sadness).**

**Anyone else going back to school soon? I feel like a dork but I'm actually really excited!**

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**To burn: **_to consume; to destroy; to shine._

* * *

**II. Glow**

I stared at Godric in surprise. "You're…breaking me out?"

"Of course," he looked at me like this was no big deal. "You didn't think I would just let them hold you here, did you?"

"Er," my cheeks flushed and I forced my fidgeting fingers to sit still, "I didn't really think about it, I guess. Just how do you plan on getting me out of here?"

Godric glanced around the room thoughtfully, his eyes scanning the concrete walls and that damn chain link door that was too strong for me to break through and too packed with silver for him to even touch. "I will come up with a plan, do not fear, little one," he assured me, his eyes twinkling in the darkness.

"Little one?" I scoffed. "I'm nineteen, thank you very much."

Apparently this was funny to Godric, as he let out a rumbling chuckle, only annoying me even more. "Forgive me," he said between chuckles, "you must realize that nineteen years is not much for a vampire."

"Just how old _are_ you?" I couldn't help but ask.

He eyed me for a moment, considering, before shaking his head. "I will answer any questions you have later, for now I must rest."

"Rest? How come?"

"Daytime is a vampire's resting hour," he explained, leaning back into the armchair and tilting his head back once more.

I frowned, "I'm sorry for keeping you awake then."

While his eyes were closed, a small smile appeared on Godric's face. "No apologies necessary, it was worth waking up."

I wasn't exactly sure what he meant was worth it, but part of me couldn't help but feel flattered at the thought that he was referring to me. I bit my lip, watching the vampire from beneath my eyelashes for a while.

After a few minutes, I couldn't look at him anymore. Sure he was easy on the eyes, but I couldn't get over the eeriness of watching someone sleep while not breathing. It felt too much like I was watching over a corpse. Shivers went up my spine at that thought.

Moving over to the corner farthest way from the door, I decided to rest as well. If my only companion was a creature of the night, I would have to adjust my schedule to fit his, after all.

Especially if he was intending to be my savior as well.

I observed what I could see of his face around the chair at my new angle for a little longer before my eyes began to grow heavy, my own exhaustion kicking in after such a trying day. I wrapped my arms around my knees and pressed my face into the darkness created, welcoming a dreamless sleep.

* * *

When I woke up, I stubbornly kept my eyes closed, secretly wishing that it had all been a dream and I was still safe in my comfy bed. The crick in my neck and numbness in my backside, however, were enough to let me know that I had not been dreaming after all.

With a sigh, I blinked my eyes open and groggily lifted my head. It took me a moment for my eyes to adjust to the darkness again and when they did I jumped at what I saw.

"Gah!" I yelped, throwing my hands up instinctively. "Don't stare at me like that while I'm asleep!"

Godric smiled sheepishly at me and backed up from his seated position, just a few inches away from me. "I apologize; I admit I was intrigued by the way you sleep. It has been years since I watched a human sleeping."

As an afterthought, a crooked little grin grew on his face, "Although, in over 2,000 years, I do not believe I've ever seen someone with quite the same…sleep patterns as you."

"I _know_ I talk in my sleep," I snapped as I stood up, brushing dirt and dust off my modest khakis—another part of the rouse. At least I wasn't wearing a dress this week, though. My leather flats, however, could become a problem if I had to run to get out of this place. They weren't the most comfortable footwear choice and were sure to rub blisters into my feet if I had to wear them for a long period of time.

While the basement was nice and cool, I unbuttoned the periwinkle shirt I had on, revealing my white camisole I wore beneath it to get some breathing room.

I glanced up in time to notice Godric's lingering gaze. "Don't you ever stop staring?" I couldn't help but snap, slightly thrown off by this much undivided attention—not only from a vampire, but from a _male_ in general.

Godric kept his eyes on mine as he replied, "I figure it's only fair, since you did your share of staring before I fell asleep."

Heat rushed into my face and I prayed to any higher power out there that was listening that Godric's nighttime vision was just as bad as mine so he couldn't see. Who was I kidding, though. He was a vampire—hell, he could probably _smell_ the blood rushing into my face.

"I wasn't _staring_," I muttered, looking down and playing with the ends of my loose shirt.

"Well, whatever it was," I could just _hear_ him smiling, "I could feel it even with my eyes closed."

I cleared my throat, keeping my gaze down as I sat on my crate across from him, "So…you said you were more than 2,000 years old?"

He nodded and smiled slightly as if to say, "You caught me."

"That's insane."

Godric laughed, leaning back in his chair, "Yes, it is a strange thought. Even more amazing is the amount of memories I have, I can still recall my early days as a vampire."

"Can you remember life as a human?"

This caused him to frown. At first I was afraid I'd asked the wrong thing but then I realized he was taking the time to really think about it.

"I remember…_remembering_ my life, if you can understand that," he started. "I do not know how else to explain it. I was only human for a short while and it was a much simpler time back then. I'm not sure if there was much to remember."

I'd seemed to have slipped into Reporter Mode without even realizing it. I leaned forward and rested my chin in my hands as I continued my game of Twenty Questions.

"Do you know how old you were when you were turned?"

"We did not count age the way we do now, but I believe I was around your age. Maybe a bit younger."

"Where are you from? Your accent is so…"

"Strange?" Godric suggested in a teasing tone.

"_Unique_," I corrected, narrowing my eyes so he knew I was trying to be serious.

That brought another bright smile to his face. I couldn't believe how much someone who was about to be put to death smiled. "I have lived many places and learned many languages, so my accent is a bit of a mixing pot. I was born to a small nomadic tribe somewhere around what is now Scandinavia. For a long time I traveled around Eastern Europe and it wasn't until the past few decades that I moved to America."

"That's so cool," I couldn't help but gush. "I've never been out of the country—I've never even been out of Texas. I'd like to travel the world someday, though."

Godric raised his eyebrows, "Anywhere in particular?"

I chewed the side of my lip, "Well, Europe definitely. And Africa. Asia, too. And probably South America. I guess I should see more of the US, too."

We laughed together although I felt a little pathetic by my lack of culture and worldly experience compared to him. I shrugged, playing with the end of my ponytail.

"If I could live anywhere, though, I think I would want to live in New York City," I admitted quietly, suddenly feeling very shy. I'd never spoken of this dream to anyone before and I had no idea why I was divulging this information to someone who was practically a stranger.

"For the journalism?" Godric questioned, crossing his legs.

I shrugged again, "There is that, but the real reason is for my dads."

This seemed to grab his curiosity. He leaned forward, letting me know he was listening.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to plow on, "Growing up with two dads wasn't easy. When I was little I didn't think there was anything wrong with my family, I'd never had a mom in the picture and I thought it was just as normal to have another father instead.

"It wasn't until I started school that I noticed every other student had a mother to volunteer in the classroom or drive the carpools or bring snacks to the soccer games. Kids even used to ask me where my mom was and I started to wonder, too."

"Do you know who your mother is?"

I shook my head, "I was adopted. I don't know who either of my biological parents are. Don't get me wrong, I love my dads and I've never even considered finding my biological parents, but I started to think there was something wrong with me. We lived in a conservative neighborhood just outside of Austin and most people didn't agree with our 'family choices', as they called it.

"When I turned sixteen we moved to Dallas and that was a little better. You guys coming out of the coffin has actually helped us out a bit too," I added with a grin. "Took some of the attention away from us."

We were quiet for a minute, just smiling at each other in comfortable silence. I was feeling strangely giddy all of the sudden.

And free.

I'd never talked to someone this much about how hard my childhood was because of how I'd been raised, and I found that a weight had been lifted from my chest. It was as if I could run again, dance again, sing again.

And I wanted to. I wanted to break free from this damn basement cell and dance in the streets. I smiled to myself and blushed again when I realized Godric was still watching me. He probably thought I was crazy but I didn't even care anymore. I felt like I could tell him anything, and the crazy thing was I actually _wanted_ to.

"After I graduated, my dads decided they wanted to see the world, so they've been in traveling around South America while I've been at school. We call every few weeks and while I miss them like crazy, I'm glad they're finally doing what they love and can be happy together.

"I think New York City could be that place for me," I continued, finally getting to my point. "It's the most understanding, open, loving city in the world. It doesn't matter if you're black, white, male, female, gay, straight, rich, poor, or anything in between…everyone has somewhere to belong. I like that. I want to feel like I belong somewhere."

Godric's blue eyes penetrated my own, trapping me in their mesmerizing gaze and it was like something slid into place between us, the pieces had finally fit together. Without needing to say it, I knew Godric understood exactly how I felt.

And suddenly I understood why he was here.

"That's why you're letting Steve do this, isn't it?" I asked quietly, unable to hide my revelation from him. He looked down at his clasped hands guiltily before glancing back up at me.

"I do not fit here anymore," he admitted. "I do not know how to live in this world anymore."

Without even thinking about it, I reached out and grabbed his hand. It was cold in my grasp but I welcomed it after living in the dry heat my whole life.

"Don't say that," I whispered. "You've managed to adapt to the changing times for centuries, you can still do it."

"It is not about my being able to adapt," Godric corrected quietly, shaking his head. "It is whether I want to anymore."

"You don't want to live anymore?"

Our eyes locked and I felt myself flushing again at the intensity he was looking at me with. My heart skipped a beat and it wasn't until then that I realized our hands were still clasped together.

"I didn't think I did. But now…I'm not so sure."

Did that mean what I thought it meant? I couldn't tell. Godric's words, I was coming to find, could be so cryptic. He sure knew how to confuse a girl.

All I knew was that that part of me that kept blushing under his gaze and overanalyzing his words was slowly taking over. It wouldn't be long until I was entering dangerous territory. I licked my lips, gently pulling my hand from his. I pretended to fix my ponytail so it looked like I needed both hands.

Deciding that we'd had enough deep conversation for one night, I changed to a lighter topic. "So what do you like to do at night? Any hobbies?"

He gave me a small half smile and relaxed back in his chair, apparently just as grateful for the topic change as I was.

"I suppose I work mostly."

I didn't realize vampires even _had_ jobs. I guess they had to make a living too, after all. "What do you do?"

"I am the sheriff for this area," he told me, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly when my eyes bugged out.

"Shut _up_," I burst out. "You're like, a vampire boss? That's awesome."

Godric shrugged, "It keeps things interesting. Dealing with the Fellowship has been my primary focus over the past few years."

"What about for fun?"

"I beg your pardon?" I tried not to smile as he looked at me like I'd spoken to him in a foreign language.

"You know. Fun. What do you do for fun?"

He just blinked at me and for the longest time said nothing. "I observe human nature sometimes, to better understand it. And…I like to travel."

"Yeah I bet living for eternity gives you lots of time for that," I said with a teasing grin.

"You'd be surprised how many famous sites and landmarks are underappreciated during the night. One of the benefits of being a night walker is there are almost never crowds."

"Don't you miss sunlight?" I asked. "Nothing beats a warm sunny day."

He smiled wryly, "I've learned to live with moonlight."

"I suppose I wouldn't miss the heat and humidity. No more sweating or sticking to leather seats," I joked. "I need to get out more at night, I think."

That seemed to please Godric. He perked up and shifted his weight to the arm of the chair closest to me, "Well you are most welcome in my area whenever you please."

"I'd like that," I said softly, unable to contain my smile. "I'd…I'd like to see you again, Godric."

As if pulled by some unseen force, our bodies were suddenly mere inches apart, our faces tilting towards each other. My heart pounded within my breast and I found myself unable to catch my breath.

His eyes flicked down to my mouth once before looking into mine again. I was drowning in those deep blue eyes and, I realized all the sudden, I didn't mind in the slightest. My hands reached forward to clutch at the arm of his chair, braced on either side of his.

Just as our lips were about to meet, a door slammed in the distance behind us. I gasped, whirling around in time to see Gabe clomping down a flight of stairs and making his way over to us.

Godric stood, so quickly that I barely saw him move, and stepped in front of me protectively. I peered over his shoulder as we watched Gabe approach.

"You're still alive?" he sneered at me, not hiding the way his eyes traveled over my body. I noticed Godric angled himself until he was completely blocking me.

"Is there something you want?" he asked with that calm yet authoritative voice of his.

Gabe narrowed his eyes at my vampire companion, scowled, and then banged a fist on the gate. I jumped, my hands clutching at the back of Godric's linen shirt impulsively.

"Just making sure you two are behaving," Gabe called out as he made his way back to the stairs.

As soon as he was out of our sight, Godric spun around, his hands coming up to grasp my elbows. "Are you alright?" he asked, his eyes searching mine.

I allowed my shaking hands to rest on his forearms, already feeling safer from his touch alone. Nodding, I let out a shaky breath, "I'm fine. I just…I don't like that guy."

He smiled softly, dipping his head slightly so we were at the same eye level. "No one does."

He must have heard something my human ears couldn't pick up, because he tensed and glanced over his shoulder. The look in his eyes when he turned back to me was one of determination.

"Tell me Spencer," he began quietly. "Are you a fast runner?"

"Uh, I can be, if I need to be."

"Do you trust me?"

I didn't have to hesitate, "Yes."

"Good," his eyes softened. "Then prepare yourself."

Before I could ask what he meant, Godric picked up the dusty armchair and charged towards the door.

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**Wow I can't believe I updated so quickly! I think that's a first for me. I just can't get this story out of my head, I guess.**

**Thank you for the wonderful support, please keep it up!**


	3. Blaze

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Oh do I wish I owned Godric though…**

**Ever heard of the band Marianas Trench? They're Canadian and they're awesome. I totally recommend checking them out—especially the song Beside You. It's beautiful. It kind of makes me think of Godric; it's a good protector/watch over you kind of song.**

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**To burn: **_to consume; to destroy; to shine._

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**III. Blaze**

My eyes widened as I watched Godric shove the chair into the chain link gate, tearing it off its hinges from the impact. He glanced back at me, holding a hand out to call me over.

"Someone was bound to have heard that, you need to move quickly and stay hidden," he directed me, placing a hand on my back once I was near him.

"What are you doing?"

"Someone checks on me every night. They took longer tonight but I was waiting for them to come so I'd know no one else would be back till later." Grabbing my hand, he helped me step over the discarded armchair in the doorway.

"What about you?" I asked after I realized he wasn't following me.

"I will distract anyone who comes down here. Now you must leave."

"I can't just leave you, Godric!" I cried out, feeling panic start to kick in. I had no idea how to get out of here and no way to defend myself. I couldn't do this without him.

"You must," he urged. He tensed and looked down one of the halls. "They are coming—go!"

"But I—"

"_Now, Spencer._" The tone of his voice had me gritting my teeth and I nodded once to him. I slipped my shoes off, knowing they would only slow me down once they started to pinch.

"Godric?" He turned his attention away from the voices starting to come down the stairs and looked at me once more.

"Thank you," I smiled shyly. He said nothing but the look in his eyes was enough. Making sure the coast was clear, I took off down one of the halls.

By the time I'd reached a staircase, I could hear angry shouts from where I'd come from. Gabe was practically causing an earthquake from all his shouting. Faintly I could hear Godric's calm voice explaining that I was gone and he would accept any consequences for his actions.

My heart broke at that thought, but I forced myself to keep going. I wasn't about to let Godric's sacrifice go to waste.

I raced up the stairs, opening the door just a crack at first to make sure no one was around. Once I saw that the hallway it lead to was empty, I darted for the nearest exit. It turned out I was just one hall down from the main lobby. Light sunrays of the early morning cascaded in through the windows. Was it morning already?

A loud crash resounded from the basement and I cringed. I hoped Godric was okay. But hey, he was a 2,000 year old vampire. Surely he could take care of himself, right?

No matter how many times I repeated to myself that Godric would be okay, I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd abandoned him in his time of need.

"What's going on, Gabe?" I heard Sarah Newlin ask down the hall. Quickly ducking into a small coat closet, I mentally urged my heartbeat to slow down and quiet my breathing as I strained to listen.

"Godric helped the girl escape," Gabe's gruff voice snapped. "We can't find her but Steve wants to make an example out of him. He's wrapped up in silver right now and tomorrow we're bringing him into the sun. Let everyone know the date's been moved forward."

"How angry is Steve?" Sarah questioned softly.

Gabe was silent for a moment. "It's not pretty," he answered finally. "And if that reporter gets word out, we'll have even more problems."

I heard the distinct sound of a shotgun being racked and loaded into place. "I'm going after the girl," Gabe told Sarah. "Keep an eye out for her and let me know right away if you find her."

The loud clomping of his boots came closer as he made his way in my direction down the hall. I pressed my hand to my mouth to quiet my breathing and I tucked myself as far into the closet as I could. Through a few old jackets I was hidden behind, I watched as he aimed the gun forward, making his way down the hall. A little later I heard the scurried steps of Sarah heading off in another direction and I finally decided to try peeking my head out.

Sure enough, the hall was empty. As fast as my legs would carry me, I headed towards a glass door off to the side of the main entrance, knowing better than to draw that much attention to myself.

There were several cars in the parking lot, but I figured all of them were probably locked. Hiding behind a large hedge, I spotted a utility van parked on the grass across the lot, its front doors and the one that slid on the side left open. It belonged to some landscape company, but I didn't see any workers around. I figured it was at least worth a try.

The hot pavement of the parking lot burned my bare feet as I made my way over to the van but I pushed myself forward. I slid into the driver's seat, making sure I scrunched down as low as possible to stay out of view.

As I'd figured, the keys weren't in the ignition. But that didn't mean I was out of options. I thought back to my junior year of high school, when I wrote an expose about hot-wiring cars. I'd learned enough to at least be able to make an attempt.

"Shit," I cursed under my breath—I didn't have a screwdriver to get into the steering wheel.

I was about to give up when I saw a man dressed in white coveralls making his way over to me. Quickly I buttoned my shirt up and hid my feet so he couldn't tell I was shoeless.

"Hey!" he called out when he got close enough. "What are you doin' in there?"

"You're not allowed to park on the grass," I said quickly, hoping I sounded like I knew what I was doing.

The man frowned at me, "I always park here when I trim the hedges."

Crap. My mind raced and I cleared my throat to buy myself time. "Well…we just fertilized the lawns."

He eyed me for a minute before nodding, "Alright, if you excuse me I'll move it now."

"Wait!" I shouted. When he didn't say anything, I realized he was waiting for me to speak. I swallowed quickly, glancing back at the church. "Er, you look like you're roasting out here. Why don't you let me take care of moving it and you just head on in to the lobby to get yourself something to drink. Tell the receptionist Rebecca sent you, she'll get you whatever you want."

I finished it off with my brightest smile, tilting my head slightly and puffing my chest a bit to enhance my cleavage. Predictable as ice cream sales on a hot day, his eyes flicked from my face to my chest.

"That's awfully kind of you, miss," he grinned toothily at me, his southern drawl thick as molasses. Handing off his keys and assuring me he'd be right back, he made his way into the air-conditioned relief of the church.

For a moment I just stared at the keys in my hands. I couldn't believe it—I'd done it! New York Journal, here I come!

Shaking my head to clear it, I quickly made sure all the doors were shut and jerked the car into Reverse. The tires screeched against the pavement as I shifted into Drive and booked it around to the back of the church. The parking lot in the back was deserted so I didn't bother with looking inconspicuous.

Judging by the way I came out, I figured the room Godric and I had been locked in to be somewhere along the back wall of the church, probably underground. Driving to the middle of the lot, I aimed the back of the van towards the building, switched into Reverse, and floored it.

The impact of the van careening into the wall nearly sent me through the windshield. My face smashed into the steering wheel, splitting my lip and bashing my forehead. I wanted to smack myself for not thinking about a seatbelt. It was a miracle the van was still running at this point. Pulling forward slightly, I assessed the damage I'd done.

With a frown I realized I hadn't done as much as I'd hoped. The glass door was shattered, taking down most of the drywall surrounding the frame. Fortunately, there was just enough space for me to fit the van into.

I had no idea if the halls were wide enough for me to drive through, but I sure as hell was going to try. I swung the van around and plowed through the remains of the door, hanging a hard right to get back to that room.

My good luck had run out, it seemed, as I came up to the hall that lead to the room Godric was in. It was way too narrow for me to fit the van through and there was no way I could attempt to knock the walls down by force—I had no idea if they were support walls or if they would even be taken down by a van.

I managed to squeeze out of my door and past the van, racing towards where I hoped Godric still was. The chair and door had been cleared away and I found myself holding my breath as I ran into the room.

What I saw brought tears to my eyes.

Godric was laying in the far corner, his upper torso leaning against the wall for support while his head lolled to the side. His shirt had been removed, revealing pasty skin and deep blue tattoos across his arms and collarbone. Thin chains of silver had been wrapped around him, pressed cruelly against wherever bare skin was showing. I could smell that familiar scent of burning flesh again and heat was literally steaming off of him.

"Oh, Godric," I cried out, collapsing onto my knees next to him. Slowly he rolled his head up to gaze at me with bleary eyes. His fangs were down—a reaction to the silver, I assumed.

He opened his mouth to speak and without thinking, I pressed my fingers up to his lips. "Don't talk," I whispered, trying to assess the damage and come up with a plan at the same time. "I'm getting you out of here."

"S-Sun," he managed to breathe out. I bit my lip and nodded, reaching out to pull the silver off of him. He hissed when I accidentally dragged it across his skin, only to tangle it even more.

With a heavy heart, I realized I would have to keep it on him until I had more time to remove it. He seemed to understand, because he held my gaze for a moment before closing his eyes and nodded once.

I hurried back to the van, searching for anything that could be used to protect him from the sunlight. I didn't bother worrying about all the supplies in my way; I chucked anything behind me that couldn't be put to use, as I also needed space to lay him down. Finally I found a thick wool blanket that looked like it would be large enough to cover him. I was thankful that the back of the van had no windows in it, either.

After laying the blanket down and spreading it out, I returned to Godric. He groaned at the rough way I tucked my head under his arm and hoisted him up, but did not protest. Quickly as possible, we made our way over to the van. I laid him down and pulled off a few loose strands of silver before wrapping him securely in the blanket, making sure no part of him was sticking out.

Once he was secure, I backed the van out of the church and peeled out of the parking lot, pressing my foot down harder on the gas pedal with every second. Before long we were in my neighborhood. I ignored the questioning stares of my neighbors as I screeched to a halt on my driveway, quickly hopping out and punching in the code to open my garage door.

I parked the van inside my empty garage, thankful for once that my dads weren't around, and made sure to close the garage door once again.

"I'll be right back!" I called out to Godric, unsure if he could even hear me. As I made my way into my house, I realized there were far too many windows for him to stay on the main floor during the day, and that meant that upstairs was out of the question as well.

Fortunately we had a basement that was partially underground. Our guest room was windowless, so that would be the safest bet for Godric.

I ran back into the garage, shoving the side door of the van open as the back doors were too damaged to open anymore. Godric remained underneath the blanket for protection, so I had to guide him towards the door into my house. He paused, however, right in front of the entryway and suddenly it was like trying to move a thousand ton boulder.

"Invite," he rasped.

"Are you serious? I'm practically dragging you into my house and I still have to invite you in?"

"_Spencer._"

I rolled my eyes. "_Godric_, won't you please come in to my humble home?" I asked in a frustrated monotone.

Just like that, he started moving again, allowing me to direct him where he had to go.

As soon as we got into the safety of the guest room, I tugged the blanket off and helped him onto the bed. Godric was looking worse by the minute—I didn't know if silver could kill a vampire, but I wasn't about to find out.

The silver chains were too long for me to untangle so I rushed into the laundry room for a pair of wire cutters, choosing instead to cut along his arms and torso and just pull everything off separately.

While Godric's skin was ice cold, it sizzled as the silver was pulled off of him. Trying to move quickly yet be gentle as well, I slid the thin strands off and tossed them onto the floor. When the last piece was removed, he threw his head back into the pillows with a heavy sigh.

I watched as the burn marks closed up but didn't finish healing. I frowned, he must have been too weak to continue healing them.

Frustration bubbled up inside me. This was becoming too much for me to handle. I had no idea what to do or who I could even go to for help. Hot tears poured down my cheeks and I struggled to hold in my sobs.

My body collapsed onto the ground and I pressed my wet face into the cool fabric of the comforter. I clutched at the blankets until my knuckles strained from the force.

A cool hand slid into my hair, startling me. Sniffling, I looked up to see Godric's calm eyes watching me. His hand slid down to my face, long fingers tracing the tracks of my tears and erasing them away.

I sniffled again, trying to get control of myself, as he pressed his palm to my cheek. "Do not cry, little one," he whispered in a raspy voice. "With time, I will heal."

"Are you in a lot of pain?" I asked, my voice still a bit shaky.

"It does not sting as badly as before." His honesty, while normally comforting, did little to make me feel better. I winced when his thumb traced the scab that was forming over the side of my lip.

"You risked your life to save me." He continued to glide his fingers along my face, moving up to my forehead, where I was sure a large bruise was forming.

I smiled slightly, grabbing his hand and tucking it between both of mine. "I guess we're even now."

It wasn't until he gave me an exhausted smile that I noticed his fangs were still down. My heart skipped a beat and I licked my dry lips. "Do you…do you need blood?"

Godric's blue-gray eyes flicked up to meet mine, his gaze looking almost embarrassed. I watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed deeply. "You have already done so much for me, I cannot ask that of you."

I shook my head, trying to convince myself as much as him that I could do this. Wiping my tear-streaked face, I stood on shaky legs. "I'll be right back."

When I returned with a small knife from the kitchen, Godric's eyes widened. "Spencer, I can heal without—"

"It'll take way longer though, wont it?" I interrupted, steeling myself for what I was about to do. "You need this, Godric."

His face softened and his shoulders dropped as he leaned his head back in defeat. "Thank you," he whispered.

"Don't talk anymore," I told him, not wanting him to push himself too far. Heart pounding, I pressed the blade to my wrist and took one last breath to calm my nerves.

A small incision, only about an inch or two long, was all that it took. Blood bubbled up and dribbled down my wrist. Godric's nostrils flared at the sight, he took the knife from me and set it aside before pulling my hand towards him and attaching his lips to my incision.

His cold tongue slid out to catch the fallen droplets before digging into the cut, causing more blood to pour out. I sat there mesmerized, my eyes unable to do anything but watch as he drank all I offered.

Eventually his hunger subsided and he was content to lick at any residue around my wrist. I jumped when Godric grazed his fangs along my wrist, lightly nibbling at my skin. It felt different from when he drank my blood—that wasn't the most pleasant experience, but it wasn't awful either.

But this…Godric suckling and nibbling at my skin, his cool hand stroking my arm, while his tongue never stopped licking at my blood—I felt my heartbeat speed up, my skin tingled and warmth pooled between my thighs.

When my breath hitched, Godric's eyes snapped up to meet mine. He pulled his mouth from my wrist and licked his lips. A fang gleamed in the lamplight and I swallowed hard when I realized it was because he was hungry for something else now.

His nose twitched again and my face flushed when he eyed the area between my legs for a moment. It didn't take a mind reader to know what he had smelled. I nervously tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

"Um…looks like you've healed," I whispered, finally noticing how his skin had smoothed over to once more become that immaculate white velvet. I stood nervously, suddenly feeling very young and inexperienced compared to Godric. "I'll just…let you get some rest—"

"I apologize if I frightened you," he interrupted.

I froze from my place in the doorway, taking a step back into the room. "You didn't. I mean, I just…"

Moving back to the bed, I sat down next to him once more. "It just takes some getting used to," my voice was barely a whisper as I raised a tentative hand towards his face. He eyed my thumb as I brought it towards his left fang, tensing slightly, but not pulling away. I traced his fang carefully, feeling the point with the pad of my finger before sliding my hand to cup his cheek.

Godric leaned into the warmth of my hand, pressing his lips gently to my palm. My stomach clenched and suddenly we were leaning in to each other again. One of his hands came to rest at my waist, the other clutching at my arm where it bent to touch him.

His lips were cool against mine, our mouths meeting for only a brief moment before parting. His eyes searched mine, silently making sure I was alright with this.

I felt a little lightheaded, yes, and maybe a little in awe that this was actually happening in my life, but there was no way I was ready to stop. I clutched at his hair as I moved forward again, kissing him more forcefully this time.

My skin tingled everywhere Godric's cold hands touched me as they stroked up my arms and down my back. I tilted my head, giving us each better access as his tongue slipped into my mouth. It felt strangely cold as it stroked my own, and tasted slightly metallic, but this was Godric, the man who'd accepted everything about me so I sure as hell was going to return the favor for him.

A breathy sigh escaped from me when he nipped at my lower lip, soothing it with his tongue after. I felt along the point of his fang with my tongue. A droplet of blood formed when it got nicked and he was quick to suck my tongue into his mouth and take advantage of the taste. My bad lip twinged from the force of our kisses, but I paid it no mind. If anything, the slight pain added to the pleasure of it all.

Finally Godric seemed to regain his senses and self control—_one_ of us had to—and eased our kisses, pressing his lips to mine once more before kissing my forehead and then pulling away to smile at me.

I returned the smile with a shy one of my own, then let out a long yawn. I hadn't realized until then how exhausted I was. Godric chuckled softly and stroked my cheek with his thumb.

"Perhaps we both need some rest," he said quietly, his eyes twinkling. I nodded hesitantly, not wanting to leave him.

"Would you stay here with me?" At his request, I grinned. I flicked off the light, not even bothering to change out of my clothes, and laid on top of the bed next to him. Godric pulled me towards him so my head was resting on his chest. It was strange not to feel it rise and fall with his breaths or hear a heartbeat.

I sighed contently, sliding one of my arms out to wrap around his waist and cuddle closer to him. Godric's arms came around me, one hand stroking my back and the other resting on my arm around his middle.

We lay in silence for several minutes, completely locked together, and just as I was about to doze off he whispered to me, "Thank you for everything you have done for me. I owe you my life."

A light blush colored my cheeks and I tucked my head further under his chin so he couldn't see, hoping he couldn't smell it either. I closed my eyes, breathing in the natural scent of him. I didn't ever want to move from here.

As I drifted off, I remembered I had yet to respond to him.

"You're welcome, Godric."

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**They're free! And they kissed! What an eventful chapter. Ha.**

**I'm staying in my new house for the night with one of my roommates and there's no air conditioning. It's gotta be like a hundred degrees in here. I'm dying. It's better than Iowa, though. My friend goes to Iowa State and she said there's water up to her waist down there! **

**If any of you dear readers live in Iowa or know someone who does, I hope you've made it through the floods safe and sound!**


	4. Smolder

**Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, alerted and/or favorited my story. I really appreciate your support! Please continue to keep it up, your feedback makes my day and encourages me to update faster.**

**Disclaimer: I own nada. Please don't sue the poor college student, I can barely make rent as it is.**

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**To burn: **_to consume; to destroy; to shine._

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**IV. Smolder**

I woke up to a strange ringing. It took me a moment to realize that it was the sound of my house phone ringing. I glanced behind me as I sat up, Godric was still asleep. He didn't even seem to notice that I'd gotten up.

I headed upstairs, grabbing the kitchen phone. "Hello?" I answered, checking the time on the microwave. It was nearly eight-thirty and the sky was a dusty orange. Godric would probably be awake soon.

"_Spencer?"_

"Uh, yeah. Who is this?"

"_It's Claire."_

Claire was my editor at the _Mercury_. I bit the side of my cheek; she had been extremely hesitant to let me run with this story in the first place. Who knew what she would do once she found out what had happened.

"Oh, hey Claire!" I tugged on the end of my ponytail. "How did you get this phone number?"

"_You weren't answering your phone and Riley Peterson said you missed your English Lit class this morning. I have your home phone number on record. Are you okay?"_

"Uh-huh, everything's fine!" I flinched at the high pitched tone of my voice. It only got like that when I was lying. Hopefully Claire wouldn't be able to tell.

"_Is something going on? It's not like you to miss class like that."_

By now the sun had set. I heard the guest room door open and turned around, watching as Godric made his way upstairs. He nodded at me in greeting and I smiled back.

"Yeah, listen Claire, some family stuff just came up over the past few days and I think I'm gonna have to pull out from the story." I gestured for Godric to sit at the kitchen table and he did, waiting patiently for me to finish.

"_Are you sure? I know you really wanted to work this story, Spence."_

"It meant a lot that you let me run with this, Claire, really. But I just have too much on my plate right now." Godric nodded to me. Apparently he approved of me dropping the story. I couldn't help but smile at the thought of him not wanting me to put myself in danger. For a final push I added, "I wasn't coming up with anything anyway. I probably would have quit it soon either way."

"_Okay, if you're sure. I'll talk to you later."_

As I hung up the phone, Godric stood to look at some of the family photos we had hanging on one of the walls. He probably felt my eyes on him as I watched him, but he didn't seem to mind so I didn't stop.

Each photo he looked at brought up different memories for me—my fathers holding me the day they brought me home, the first time they took me to see a musical, last Christmas. A small smile flitted onto his face when he came to my third grade class picture. I'd been convinced I could cut my own hair and ended cutting off a big chunk of hair right at the front of my head. As punishment they made me go to class pictures with that hairdo before taking me to a professional salon to get it fixed.

"They refuse to take that one down," I said, unable to contain my own grin when he smiled at me.

Godric returned to the kitchen table. "It is obvious your fathers love you a great deal."

He had no idea how much hearing that warmed my heart. My whole life I'd heard people saying that two men were unfit to raise a girl, that their "lifestyle choices" would ruin me or "turn me into one of them". All that they had done was teach me that love is never wrong, and to accept everyone for who they are, not what they are.

"They will be gone for a while?" he continued when I didn't answer.

I shook my head, "They'll be gone for at least another month, so we don't have to worry about them coming back."

"And I take it they have no idea what you have been up to these past few weeks." There was a teasing look in his eyes that told me know he was referring to my little trips to the Fellowship.

"Er, no," I admitted, fiddling with an old magazine left on the table. "But nothing happened, so why bother?"

Godric frowned, his eyes instantly moving up to look at my forehead.

Oh yeah. I forgot about that.

Not even thinking, I lifted my hand up to test it and flinched at the throbbing that resulted. "Okay, so maybe not _nothing_, but still, what they don't know won't hurt them."

Judging by the look on his face, Godric didn't agree with that logic, but I wasn't about to let him convince me to tell my parents what happened. I could just imagine how _that_ conversation would end up. Not to mention adding harboring a vampire to the list…

I went into the bathroom, wanting to see the damage to my face for myself. Whatever I'd imagined, I wasn't expecting to see a giant yellow and brown bruise covering my entire forehead or a nasty scab on the side of my upper lip.

"Jeez," I murmured under my breath.

At that, Godric was by my side. I glared at him through the mirror. "Why didn't you tell me it was this bad?"

He actually looked a little sheepish, "I knew you would not believe me until you saw it for yourself."

Fine, maybe he was right.

He was getting to know me a little _too_ well, if you asked me. Or maybe I was just easy to read.

I sighed, hoping my make up would be able to cover up at least a little of the damage. My stomach rumbled and I pressed my hands on to it, frowning as I realized how low I was on groceries.

I couldn't help but glance over at Godric and wonder if he was hungry. "Come on," I announced, grabbing his hand and leading him back into the kitchen. "We need to go to the grocery store. I'm starving, what about you?"

Godric chuckled, watching me move around my kitchen, checking to see what food we already had. "At my age I can go a while without needing to feed. I will be fine for the time being."

Not bothering to push him further (I could secretly find where they kept the Tru Bloods once we got to the store), I went to reach for my keys and stopped dead in my tracks.

"Damn it," I muttered, slamming my fist down on the counter. I turned to Godric, "I forgot Steve took my car and my purse."

"I could carry you there," Godric offered tentatively, almost shy about it.

"Carry me?" I questioned. "Like, a piggy back ride? It's kind of a long walk to carry someone…."

He was obviously trying to hide his smile, and had to try even harder when I narrowed my eyes at him. "Trust me, your weight will be no hindrance for me. And I will not walk, I can move at speeds so fast you would think we are flying. If you give me the directions, we can be there in no time."

I blinked at him, considering this. When I could come up with no reasonable objections I shrugged and gave him general directions to our nearest Piggly Wiggly.

It wasn't until I looked down at my wrinkled clothing that I realized I hadn't showered in days. Not wanting to make Godric put up with however awful I probably smelled, I took a quick shower and changed into jean shorts and a loose floral tank top. Having grown up in the dry Texas heat, I wasn't one to use a hair dryer even if you held a gun up to my head. My damp blonde locks fell in loose waves around my shoulders.

The bruise and cut on my face would surely draw attention, so I made sure to apply extra foundation to both areas. The makeup did little to cover up the injuries but at least they didn't look so apparent anymore.

Remembering I no longer had a purse, I mentally cursed Steve Newlin. Luckily I kept most of my cash in a safe hidden in my closet; I grabbed a few twenties and returned downstairs to lead Godric outside.

I froze at the sight of the banged up van in my garage. I'd completely forgotten about it.

"Do not worry about disposing of that," Godric insisted, pressing a large hand to the small of my back. "I will take care of it later."

With that, he presented his back to me, bending his knees slightly so I could get on easier. I slid my hands onto his shoulders, feeling the strong muscles moving beneath my grip, and with a little hop, jumped onto his back. My thighs pressed down onto his lean hips, but he didn't seem to mind in the slightest. His hands slipped down to grip my knees and I pressed myself closer to him.

"Hold on tightly," he murmured. Before I could even respond, we had taken off.

Godric had said we would be moving fast, but I was not expecting this.

The wind whipped past my face, bringing tears to my eyes and sending my hair flying. I closed my eyes, my stomach no longer able to take the sight of houses and trees moving past us at impossible speeds. My arms clutched at him and I pressed my face into the back of his neck. I was tempted to completely wrap my legs around his waist just to better lock myself to him, but suddenly we stopped moving.

When I finally dared to open my eyes again, I saw we were standing in some trees just outside the parking lot of the Piggly Wiggly. Somehow I managed to pry my white-knuckled fingers from Godric's shoulders, my legs sliding down his hips limply. It wasn't until I let go of him completely that we both realized I wasn't quite ready to stand on my own just yet. My legs buckled beneath me and I would have collapsed onto the ground if it weren't for Godric's quick hands grabbing me by the elbows and holding me against him.

"Are you alright?" he whispered into my hair. I nodded against him, keeping my face pressed into his neck as my fingers clutched at the front of his shirt. He pulled away slightly to look into my eyes and I could see the worry on his face.

"Perhaps you were not ready for that," he suggested.

I shook my head, sliding one of my hands up to cup his tense jaw. "I'm fine," I insisted, finally able to find my voice. "That was just a little…I'll remember to keep my eyes closed next time."

We chuckled together and he pressed a loving kiss to my forehead. I stared up at him before rolling up onto my tiptoes and kissing him lightly. My stomach fluttered and I let out a soft sound at the back of my throat before we parted.

I took a step away from him, straightening out my top and running a hand through my hair that was now perfectly dry from all that wind power. Now that I didn't feel like the world was spinning off its axis, I was okay to head into the store.

Godric followed me silently through the aisles, watching as I scanned over types of microwave dinners and boxed meals. Normally my family was big into home cooked meals for dinner, but since my parents had left I found that it was just easier to do the microwave thing when cooking for one.

A large section of red caught my eye and I found the aisle where they kept the packs of Tru Bloods. Godric frowned when he watched me turn the cart down the aisle but he followed me nonetheless.

I stared at the bottles; I hadn't realized they came in flavors—blood types, actually. I turned to him, "Do you have a preference?"

He eyed me for another moment before turning to the selections, reading each label carefully. Eventually he selected a four pack of AB-negative and hesitantly placed it in the cart beside a box of Hamburger Helper.

We made our way to one of the checkout aisles. The middle-aged cashier began scanning my items and I noticed her hand hovered for a moment before she reached for the pack of Tru Bloods. She told me my total and as I counted bills, I could feel her eyeing the marks on my face.

"You do not need to pay for those for me," Godric insisted, placing a hand on my upper arm. I couldn't help the shivers that went up my spine and the woman frowned.

I turned to him, giving him the same look he was giving me. "I don't mind, really. Besides, do you even have any money on you?"

Ha. Got him.

He held my gaze for another moment before nodding and moving down to the end of the conveyer belt to pack all of our items.

The woman glared in his direction as she handed me my change but I just smiled at her, dropping the coins into a can taking donations for some local charity. She didn't even bother wishing us a good night, but I just pretended I didn't notice.

I could feel several other pairs of eyes on us, one man even blatantly glanced at my neck to look for puncture marks as he passed us. Godric didn't seem to pay any attention but I was seriously getting sick with everyone and their judgmental looks.

"Ready to go home, baby?" I asked loudly as I pressed my front against him. He just stood there, looking at me completely lost, holding the grocery bag at his side. One of my hands slid up to caress the back of his neck while I let the other one stroke down his back to slip into the back pocket of his pants.

Godric stiffened and his eyes widened briefly, but he said nothing. At the gasps heard behind us, he seemed to understand what I was doing. I smirked up at him before kissing him forcefully, allowing my tongue to push past his teeth. As we pulled away, I tugged his lower lip in between my teeth.

He wasn't expecting that move, apparently, because he let out a low rumble in his chest. His free hand moved to grip my hip, pressing me even closer to his firm body.

Somebody coughed from a few checkout lanes down and I just grinned up at him, pulling his hand into mine as we walked out the sliding doors.

"You were provoking those people," Godric said softly once we were outside.

I pursed my lips, "They deserved it." Suddenly I almost felt like a child, though. I glanced over at him through the corner of my eye. Maybe I had taken it too far. I was still new to the vampire world and I didn't exactly know what kind of behavior was expected of them in public.

I shyly asked, "Are you mad?"

He stopped walking, turning to me and grabbed my hand. "Not at all; I admire the fact that you can stand up to those who so readily judge you."

"Years of practice," I said with a tired smile. He squeezed my hand before offering his back to me once more. I hopped on, clutching at his shoulders as he held me up with one hand, using the other to hold our groceries.

This time I kept my eyes closed the entire time, allowing myself to feel the wind blowing my hair and listen to the sounds of the world whizzing past us. I lifted my head once we slowed and I could hear the chirping of crickets once more.

My recovery was easier this time as I slipped off his back, smiling gratefully over at him when he kept one hand on my lower back. We were quiet as he watched me microwave a bottle for him and then make one of my Lean Cuisines for myself.

Godric was so easy to talk to, it wasn't until the clocks chimed one in the morning that I realized how long we'd sat at my kitchen table, content to just talk with each other about our lives.

I wasn't really tired yet but I no longer wanted to just sit in my kitchen with him. As I threw away the remains of our meals, my fathers' DVD collection caught my eye. With a silly grin I dragged Godric into our family room and put in one of my dad's favorite movies from the thirties.

I didn't tell him what the title was, wanting to watch his reaction when the menu came on. I couldn't help the pleased giggle that came out when his eyes widened as a pale man with slicked back hair and a long cape appeared in the screen.

"Have you ever seen _Dracula_?" I asked, trying desperately to contain my girly squeals. I couldn't believe I was acting like this around him, but I couldn't help it. He made me feel like a little girl dreaming of her favorite Disney prince or something. It was really quite ridiculous.

If Godric noticed my sudden giddiness, he didn't show it. He stretched his arm out to rest behind me on the couch where we sat. "Actually, I believe I was there the night it premiered."

He smiled crookedly when I sat there, staring at him with my mouth open. It was strange how easily I could forget just how old he actually was. I don't even know if my _grandparents_ had been born yet when this movie first came out.

Unsure of how to respond to that exactly, I nudged him with my elbow before hitting _Play_ and settling back on the couch. I hadn't watched this movie since I was little and could hardly remember any of it, so I was excited to see the crazy myths they'd included in the film.

Throughout the movie we laughed at the ridiculousness of the characters and the over-dramatization of just about everything Dracula did. Over time we grew more comfortable with each other, as well. Godric's arm had moved to actually rest on my shoulders and I leaned in towards him, resting my head against him.

I grew cold after a half hour—Godric apologized about a dozen times for his cool temperature before wrapping me up in a throw blanket—so I draped my legs over his lap and cocooned myself against him. I played with his other hand in my lap, tracing his palm or linking our fingers together intermittently.

Towards the end of the movie, I started losing interest in what was happening on the screen and found my attention shifting to the man sitting next to me. It started out as flirty playing, finding random reasons to touch each other or get the other's attention, but soon we were sitting there staring at each other.

I don't know who moved first, but one moment I was playing with Godric's hand and the next I was on my back with him hovering above me. My heart was pounding in my chest as our mouths moved against each other. I clutched at his hair, shivering when his cold hands traced down my arms.

That damn blanket was tangled around my legs and I had to pull away from him to kick it aside. He was hoisting my legs around him to grip his hips before the blanket even landed across the room.

Godric pulled away from my mouth to press wet kisses down my jaw to my neck, tracing his tongue along the sensitive skin there. I couldn't help the breathy moan I let out when he lightly bit down. Our hips rocked together as our hands traced everywhere they could reach. My hands snaked up the back of his shirt, clawing down his back when I felt him massage at my breasts through my shirt. I cried out, arching my back into his touch.

He moved back up to kiss me again and I eagerly opened my mouth to him. He tasted different from anything I'd ever experienced, his taste truly addicting.

Sick of all this groping over clothes, I reached down to tug on his shirt. Godric sat up, pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it to who knows where. I stared up at him, his pale skin glinting in the darkness.

Reaching out, I traced the dark blue of the tattoo circling his collar bone. I'd never remembered to ask him about them. "You have a lot of tattoos," I murmured, noting the others on his strong arms.

"Does it bother you?" he whispered. I had a feeling he was talking about more than just the tattoos.

"Not at all," I smiled, reaching up again to pull him down onto me. "You're beautiful."

I felt a little strange saying that to a guy, but he didn't seem to mind. In fact, he grinned brightly at me before pressing a light kiss to my nose. He reached down to undo the three buttons on my tank top and I gasped at the chill of his touch. My stomach clenched and goosebumps littered my skin, but I didn't want him to stop.

I sat up and helped him pull my top over my head, shaking my hair free after the shirt joined our rapidly growing pile. His calculating gaze moved from my flushed face to my breasts, encased in navy blue lace.

Godric smiled softly, cupping my face in his large hands. "_You_ are the beautiful one, little one."

Oh, he was good.

My stomach fluttered and I hastily pulled him closer to me, blindly seeking for his mouth with my own. Our tongues and teeth clashed as we moved together, anxious to feel more skin.

His hands rubbed my breasts underneath the cups of my bra, playing with my stiffened nipples and sending my heartbeat into overdrive. I clutched at his hips with my thighs, grinding against the hardness I felt there.

Eager to keep going, I moved his hands down my stomach to the buttons of my shorts. Together we managed to push my shorts past my hips and Godric rose from the couch to pull them completely off my legs. He was about to climb back on top of me but I sat up, pressing my hands to his lean chest.

"Let's move to my bedroom," I suggested. Godric didn't need to be told twice. He scooped me into his arms and the next thing I knew, he was lowering me onto the soft comforter of my bed. He lowered his mouth to suck at the exposed curve of my breasts and I completely forgot to ask him how he knew which room was mine.

While Godric was busy with my breasts, I reached my head up to pull his earlobe into my mouth, tugging on it lightly with my teeth. He groaned, pressing his forehead into my collarbone before reaching behind me to unclasp my bra. My breasts spilled out and he pulled away slightly to look at them in the pale moonlight.

My chest was heaving as I stared up at him for a moment before he quickly lowered himself on top of me again. I cried out when his mouth enclosed around my nipple, lightly nibbling and sucking. I rubbed my hips against him in time with his mouth, our bodies moving together to the erratic beating of my heart, which I'm sure he could hear.

I slipped a hand down between us to undo his pants and he tensed, pulling back slightly. My hand froze, what was wrong?

"Are you sure about this?" he asked, his voice low and raspy. I was surprised; it probably took a lot of restraint on his part to ask that at a time like this.

It wasn't until then that I noticed how his eyes had darkened to a midnight blue, and his fangs were out. My heart skipped a beat at the sight, but I would not let myself be afraid. Godric had saved my life, the least I could do was trust him with it.

I hadn't had a boyfriend in over a year, hadn't been with a man in months, and Godric was obviously way more experienced than I would ever be, but if I was sure of one thing in my life, it was that I wanted to be with him in every way possible.

Reaching down once more to undo his pants, I stared into his eyes and whispered, "I want you more than anything, Godric."

That seemed to be his undoing, as he quickly kicked off his pants and reached to remove my panties as well. I could feel him, hard and thick against my stomach as his hands traced up my thighs. Breathing heavily in anticipation, I allowed him to part my thighs, gasping when he slid a long finger into my heated core.

The cold temperature was unlike anything I'd ever experienced before. I vaguely thought to myself that I would never be able to go back to the temperature of a human man after this. His fingers moved inside of me quickly and forcefully, crooking to reach that one place inside me that had my mind reeling.

I was so close to reaching my peak, I rocked my hips against his hand, my own clutching at my sheets. Godric leaned down, thrusting his tongue into my mouth and swallowing my cries of release.

Panting, I stared up at him, hoping that he would still want to continue. Seeming to sense that I was eager for more, Godric shifted to lie between my legs again. For a while he just kissed me and let his hands trace across my skin. When I pulled away with a frustrated groan and pressed my hip bones against his, he smirked down at me. He reached between us and pushed into me with one quick thrust. I let out a heavy breath, clutching at his shoulders as we allowed my body to adjust.

He pulled back, leaning up on his elbows, before moving inside me. Every push and pull brought me closer to release. I felt like I couldn't catch my breath as he picked up speed, clutching at my hips and railing into me. I hooked my legs around his waist and threw my head back into my pillows, unknowingly exposing my neck to him.

I hadn't thought about what that might do to a vampire during sex until I realized he was staring at my neck with a dark hunger. Despite the way he vigorously moved inside me, he held back from sinking his fangs into my neck. My chest warmed at the thought of him trying his best not to bite me.

He'd already had my blood once before and nothing bad occurred, besides, if this was going to work, I would have to accept everything about him. Making sure Godric looked into my eyes, I applied pressure to the back of his head until his mouth was poised above the juncture between my neck and shoulder.

"Spencer," he breathed in warning.

"Go ahead," I urged him, clenching my inner muscles around him. His tongue dragged along the length of my neck as he pulled my long hair away.

Right before he sank his fangs into me, he reached down to rub that bundle of nerves that had me seeing stars. I was so lost in pleasure I barely registered the pain that sliced through me when he bit down. I whimpered, dragging my nails down his back, leaving marks that probably faded just as soon as they were left.

I'd never imagined having someone drink your blood would feel so…sensual. He drank hungrily, moving inside me at the same tempo as my heartbeat, pumping blood into his mouth. It felt a little strange, and I had to constantly remind myself not to move my upper body too much, but I knew I could get used to this.

A few more gulps from him and he pulled away, licking the remains away from the bloody puncture holes in my neck. Godric stared down at me with ruby red lips and I was mesmerized. How could anyone look so dangerous and beautiful at the same time?

One more powerful thrust, one more swipe across my clit, and I was lost. I let out a breathy cry as I arched into him, pressing my breasts into his chest, and clutching at anything I could get my hands on. Stars danced in my vision and I was vaguely aware of Godric tensing above me before letting out a low groan.

He collapsed on top of me, pressing his lips against mine. I could taste my blood on his lips and found myself eagerly licking it off of them. Our tongues moved against each other lazily, going back and forth between each other's mouths as our hands danced across each other's skin.

His weight above me made me feel safe and secure. I lowered my legs from his hips but kept my arms locked around his torso, allowing him to rest all of his weight on top of me. For a while Godric pressed his head into the pillow beside me, nuzzling my ear and breathing in the scent of my shampoo.

Insisting he didn't want to crush me, he eventually rolled on to his back and I followed him. I pulled my blankets up to wrap around us as I lowered my head onto his shoulder, pressing a soft kiss to his skin.

As Godric's strong arms came around me, I was hit with a sudden realization.

No matter what happened now, my life would never be the same because of him.

* * *

**Ehh, sorry for taking so long to get this one out. I've had a lot going on lately and…well I guess sometimes certain chapters just take longer to write. (Yes I realize what a lame excuse that is, just go with it.)**

**Little tidbit: I found myself searching Google endlessly for Texas dialect websites because I realized that there are certain words in this chapter that may be different depending on where you're from. I myself am from the northern Midwest (Kudos if you can figure out where! I know I've been leaving random little clues here and there.), so obviously some of my words and phrases are going to be different from that of a Texan.**

**For example, I didn't know whether to say sofa or couch. It's pretty much 50/50 where I'm from, but I wasn't sure what they say down in **_**Tejas**_**. Here's another one that always gets me: pop or soda? Or down south, don't they even say coke for like, anything? Now **_**that's **_**confusing. ("What can I get you?" "I'd like a Coke, please." "Sure, what kind?" "Uh…Coke? I thought that's what I said…") Where I'm from, most people say pop, but my mom grew up in central Wisconsin, so she says soda, which is what I grew up saying. Two of my roommates at school are from there, too, and they call a water fountain a "bubbler". I think that's crazy! **

**Anyway, the point of this is, do any of you know what people in Texas say? Sofa or couch? Pop or soda (or coke)? Water fountain, drinking fountain, bubbler? I'm sure there are more. (I love the pillow vs. peh-llow, roof vs. ruff, milk vs. melk stuff, too, but those don't really apply here…)**


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